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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · clip · racket · swing · scale · calf · game · root

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. swing — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. clip — for paper
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. clip — a video
  11. swing — to play on
  12. game — a match
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — in golf
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — of a word
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com